Finale Forum

Finale have released version 26.1, the first update to Finale 26.

https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/finale ... 1-is-here/

However, at present, Finale tells me I'm up-to-date on 26.0.1 when I check for updates.

Can someone please remind me what one needs to do to ensure that if one installs F 26 one can still run F 25? Also what is it desirable to do to prevent havoc in articulations if a file has been viewed in F 26 but then returned to F 25? And are there any other potential hazards? (Between versions 25 and 26.)

I feel it's time I got F 26 (although I may continue to work in F 25 for current half-finished projects).

I suspect it may then be Dorico here I come, but we'll see.

I doubt I will ever switch to Dorico, its interface is just far too alien to me (but as the saying goes, "never say never").

That little opinion stated... are there any compelling reasons to switch up to v26 of Finale?
I've been mostly working in v25 and quite happy with its stability.

However, because of some sample libraries I use that are no longer supported in Finale (starting with v2014) I still have my copy of (a very unstable) Finale 2012 for creating some audio files.

Anyway, again upgrade Finale 25 to 26, yay or nay?

Michel R E wrote: are there any compelling reasons to switch up to v26 of Finale?

Well, one of the highlights of 26.1 is they've fixed the men's barbershop quartet template!

The fact that you can't find anything immediately compelling in nearly 3 years of development speaks volumes in itself.

I'm afraid my use of Finale is now strictly related to 'legacy' documents. I suspect that we will never see a major overhaul of the spacing and layout engine, the user interface, the limitations. Finale will remain broadly the same as it has done.

Sibelius introduced "Magnetic Layout" 10 years ago. Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout. Other applications will address the areas where they fall short of Finale before Finale addresses those areas where they surpass it.

Musescore's default beaming is, however, ridiculous from what I've seen.

And speaking of the barbershop template...

Mightn't one think that they might have researched the project a little better? After all, the Barbershop Harmony Society and Sweet Adelines International (dare we say the largest users of such a template?) have publication standards, which don't match (even close) the "new, improved" template.

Just sayin'...

I think our only hope is that Finale gets sold to someone else. I don't think the current owners understand the software business (if I recall correctly, they sell exercise and fitness stuff).

David Ward wrote:Also what is it desirable to do to prevent havoc in articulations if a file has been viewed in F 26 but then returned to F 25?

I'm curious about this, too. I thought they would have fixed that SNAFU in this release. In the past when they've made catastrophic errors they've addressed them right away.

Also, people are still running into the "Enigma" temp file business on Facebook, which I consider a catastrophic bug. I wonder why MakeMusic can't figure out how to play nice with the system temp directory.

I still have 2014.5. I don't care about 64-bit and rarely stack articulations. Is there any other good reason to spend over $100 on an upgrade, other than trying to keep the MakeMusic ship afloat?

Upgrade to 26 is on sale through May 20 ... $99. Promo code FINALE261

motet wrote:… … … Is there any other good reason to spend over $100 on an upgrade, other than trying to keep the MakeMusic ship afloat?

Well, I've just bought & downloaded F 26.1, but may not use or even install it for a while.

Michel R E wrote:I doubt I will ever switch to Dorico, its interface is just far too alien to me (but as the saying goes, "never say never").

That little opinion stated... are there any compelling reasons to switch up to v26 of Finale?
I've been mostly working in v25 and quite happy with its stability.

However, because of some sample libraries I use that are no longer supported in Finale (starting with v2014) I still have my copy of (a very unstable) Finale 2012 for creating some audio files.

Anyway, again upgrade Finale 25 to 26, yay or nay?

I'm on a Mac, so 26 had big speed improvements over 25 for me. That doesn't affect you, but the big reason I think you should consider 26 is being able to use Note Performer for playback. IMO, it's a huge improvment over Garritan. Using Note Performer in Finale is the single biggest Finale improvement I've had in years.

BuonTempi wrote:

Michel R E wrote: Sibelius introduced "Magnetic Layout" 10 years ago. Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout.

For me the problem in Finale is not missing the magnetic layout, but the fact that it (Finale) constantly moves things where I put them.

David Ward wrote:Can someone please remind me what one needs to do to ensure that if one installs F 26 one can still run F 25? Also what is it desirable to do to prevent havoc in articulations if a file has been viewed in F 26 but then returned to F 25? And are there any other potential hazards? (Between versions 25 and 26.)

The original Scoring Notes review of v26 (.0) covers the installation and pitfalls of sharing between versions.

https://www.scoringnotes.com/reviews/finale-26-review/

It's inevitable that software from the past doesn't know what to do with data from the future. The much-vaunted 'future-proof' .musx format still removes data that it can't understand. Some apps bring up warnings about older/newer files, and offer you to save a copy.

BuonTempi wrote: Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout.

Ian Stewart wrote:The parts have an untidy layout...

Try the "Perfect Layout" plug-in for Finale/Windows: https://elbsound.studio/perfect-layout
It solves collision avoidance, automatic score layout, cleaning up of parts and much more.
Here are a few customer reviews of the current beta release: https://elbsound.studio/perfect-layout/feedback.php

Jan
https://elbsound.studio

elbsound wrote:

BuonTempi wrote:

Michel R E wrote: Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout.

Ian Stewart wrote:The parts have an untidy layout...

Try the "Perfect Layout" plug-in for Finale/Windows: https://elbsound.studio/perfect-layout
It solves collision avoidance, automatic score layout, cleaning up of parts and much more.
Here are a few customer reviews of the current beta release: https://elbsound.studio/perfect-layout/feedback.php

Jan
https://elbsound.studio

Ok, first off that's a misquote up there, I didn't mention MuseScore

But I thought the Perfect Layout plugin required the use of some JW element that had still not been released?

Michel R E wrote:

Michel R E wrote: Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout …

Ok, first off that's a misquote up there, I didn't mention MuseScore …

That is what can happen when you quote a post containing a quote containing a quote.
Here is the correct quote:

BuonTempi wrote:… Even MuseScore 3 boasts collision avoidance and automatic layout …

Michel R E wrote:But I thought the Perfect Layout plugin required the use of some JW element that had still not been released?

The public beta is available since last November and comes with an installer that automatically installs all required elements.
(And sorry for the wrong quote in quote which is already wrong in Octo's post above where I copied it from.)

does your plugin work in Finale 64-bit?
I recall the issue being that Jari had not done any upgrades to his LUA plugin (or whatever it was).

Yes, both 32bit and 64bit.
JW Lua for 64bit has been released in 2017.

I've downloaded and installed (successfully, as far as I can tell) the 26.1 update. However, the installer was supposed to open the "read-me" file upon exit, and for some reason it didn't. Can anyone tell me how to access the "read-me" file manually, please?

TIA,

Gareth

I suspect there's not much to read.

But maybe look for the release notes on the website?

Mac : https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fin ... _s_new.htm

Windows : https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fin ... _s_new.htm

michelp wrote:Mac : https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fin ... _s_new.htm

Windows : https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fin ... _s_new.htm

Many thanks.

Why am I not surprised to find there's no mention of them having fixed the postage-stamp-sized printing bug …